Plano, Texas, a community that has received its share of publicity in recent days, is making headlines once again with the March 25 fire that caused an estimated $250,000 in damage to the six-bedroom home of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.

Two months ago, Aikman reportedly moved into his new 12,000-square-foot home in the prestigious Willow Bend Country development in West Plano. Aikman had left his home just 10 minutes before an alarm from his home came to the attention of local firefighters. They arrived on the scene at 7:40 a.m. and fought the flames for about 90 minutes before the fire was contained. Aikman arrived soon after the firefighters but would not make any comments to reporters. Fellow Cowboys Bill Bates and neighbor Deion Sanders stood by for support.

The fire, which authorities have ruled as accidental, started in the attic in the back of the home, then spread to the garage below. It didn't help Aikman's case that North Texas was experiencing a particularly windy morning. Fire Chief William Peterson says investigators believe that the fire could be traced to an electrical or mechanical problem.

Approximately 1,800 square feet of the house suffered fire damage, and additional sections were damaged by smoke and water, says fire spokeswoman Monique Cardwell. She adds that no damage was inflicted to Aikman's football memorabilia.

Aikman's home, valued at $3.2 million, has been a work in progress and was under construction for nearly two years. Local artists Kathleen Wofford and Noel Wallace had only recently finished painting in Aikman's kitchen and dining room. Wofford and Wallace arrived at the scene at about 8:40 a.m. to take pictures of their finished product for their portfolio (which was left in Aikman's home), only to discover the firefighters began fighting the blaze.

Insurance inspectors have already made visits to the site to survey the damage, and workers currently are cleaning up the site. The electricity has been turned off in Aikman's home, and there's no word yet on when the quarterback will be able to return home. But rest assured, he'll have plenty of volunteers if he needs a place to stay.

Published: March 30, 1998

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